Arkansas to Receive $5.3 Million to Continue Efforts to Turn Around its Lowest-Performing Schools

Arkansas to Receive $5.3 Million to Continue Efforts to Turn Around its Lowest-Performing Schools

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that Arkansas will receive $5.3 million to continue efforts to turn around its persistently lowest achieving schools through the Department's School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. Arkansas is one of 13 states that will receive SIG funding. Six of the states will receive awards to run a new competition for previously unfunded schools, and seven states, including Arkansas, will receive continuation funds for the third year of implementing a SIG model. In addition to Arkansas, other states receiving continuation awards are: Delaware—$1.4 million; Florida—$26.8 million; Montana—$1.5 million; New Jersey—$10.4 million; Oregon—$5.4 million; and Washington—$7.8 million. The states receiving new awards are: Georgia—$17.2 million; Illinois—$22.2 million; Kansas—$4 million; Massachusetts—$7.2 million; Nevada—$3.8 million; and North Carolina—$14.3 million.

"When schools fail, our children and our neighborhoods suffer," Duncan said. "Turning around our lowest-performing schools is hard work but it's our responsibility. We owe it to our children, their families and the broader community. These School Improvement Grants are helping some of the lowest-achieving schools provide a better education for students who need it the most.

Grants are awarded to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) that then make competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to use them to provide adequate resources, in order to substantially raise student achievement in their lowest-performing schools.

Under the Obama Administration, the SIG program has invested up to $2 million per school at more than 1,300 of the country's lowest-performing schools. Early findings show positive momentum and progress in many SIG schools. Findings also show that many schools receiving SIG grants are improving, and some of the greatest gains have been in small towns and rural communities.